The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-02-04
THE RESULT AND ITS CAUSE,
nored.

and perpetuate the illegal and fraudulent
Democratic majority in the General Assembly
"until the election of United States Sena-
tor" and, so far as was possible for the State
Legislature it has answered the object of its
creation, and will from henceforth and for
other political curios The idea that the
compromise" had specially or primarily to do
with the question of who should preside over
the joint assembly is erroneous; and to at
tempt to make It appear that its purpose was
simply to determine that, and to prevent dis
order and possible bloodshed in the beautiful
new capitol, by setting aside Colonel Robert
son and dividing the presidency between
lawful officer and "a usurper and pretender,
is an afterthought mere pretext, an abattis
hastily thrown up behind which those
sponsible for it could defend themselves. The
Journal has not and does not now impugn
the motives Of anybody; it did not and does
not now believe in either the wisdom, the ne
cessity or the rightfulness of the agreement,
and appeals to the operation and to the result
as the vindication of its dissent, as well as Of
the dissent of ninety-nine hundredths of the
Republicans of the State and country. It
should also be said that the parties response
BILE for it can be counted upon the fingers of
one hand. With the fewest possible excep-
tions, the body Of the Republican members
of the Assembly would have been glad to be
relieved from the burden it imposed upon
their manhood and self-respect. Had the
final result been what it has been in the alb
sence of any compromise" with the Demo
| Gratis, there would have been a sense of po-
| litical freedom and independence that would
| have done much to relieve the disappointment
| from the failure in carrying out the will of
the people, and in upholding law and justice.
| It should be once more stated that what
| the compromise" did was to concede the
! whole of the Republican position. 1t recog
nized Green Smith; it recognized Branaman,
who has no more legal right to a seat and vote
| in the Senate than any Michigan City convict
| who might be imported to make up Demo
cratic majority; and it prevented the House
of Representatives from exercising its consti-
tutional privilege and discharging its consti-
tutional duty, at least in the case of Beasley
from the district of Vigo, Vermillion and Sui
| livan. We should like to poll the Republican
members of the General Assembly upon these
| questions:
l. Do you believe the unseatng of Meagher
| and the seating of Dickerson was constitu-
tional and right?
g. Do you believe, from the facts you
know, that Beasley should be unseated and
Downing admitted to his seat9
/ g. Do you believe that Mr.. Mcdonald was
entitled to his seat in the Senate, and that
Frank Branaman has no legal right to the seat
he holdsa
The columns of the Journal are open to any
Republican Senator or Representative who
desires to answer either Of these questions in
the negative. If they are answered in the
affirmative, then the Republicans had hon
estly and legally elected seventy-six members,
and the first and most sacred duty was to
protect and defend that legal and valid ma
| jority; to have defended it with at least
equal courage and unfinching unanimity as
the Democrats displayed in the defense and
protection of their illegal and fraudulent ma
jority. Against this proposition we believe
there can be no sound argument. How thai
majority could have been expressed in the
choice of United States Senator was the
problem before the Republicans. The Jour
nal said at the time, what events have no,
proven to be true, that in the end the cues
ton would have to go to the United States
Senate for final decision, and the Journal be
lieves it should have gone there will
the Republicans on the vantage ground as t.
an actual election, instead Of being compelled
to go there to contest the apparent election o
Democrat But when the compromise wa
entered into the conditions were changed, ant
from that time until Wednesday last the re
suit has been inevitable. The only thing lef
to do is to do all that can be done to proven
the revolutionary Democracy from realizin,
upon their crimes, and seating Unitet
States Senator elected by virtue of fraud
ulent and illegal majority. To that duty W
, are certain can be summoned the full, heart
and determined effort of every Republica,
member of the Legislature and of every mem
. Der of the Republican party in the State, an,
we shall surely have the encouragement o
{ every man throughout the country who be
t lieves in free and equal suffrage, and in til
: right Of equal and honest representation.
SEVERAL of the Senators explain that